12 MAY 2021
ISSUE 238
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
News
Airshow to feature a wide variety of aerobatics and displays
Members of the Tuggerah Lakes community are planning a class action against Central Coast Council on behalf of all property owners who suffered loss or damage as a result of devasting flood events in February 2020 and again in March 2021. See page 12
Out&About
Go behind the scenes of a fire and rescue service and meet the local firefighters at Open Day on Saturday, May 15.
The skies over Central Coast Airport at Warnervale will roar into life with the sights and sounds of the 2021 Central Coast Airshow over the weekend of May 22 and 23.
See page 19
Business
See page 17 Photo: Tim Geluk
Debate triggered by 20,000 signature e-petition over in half an hour Debate in State Parliament over a community petition calling for a Judicial Inquiry into Central Coast Council took little over half an hour and achieved nothing. All that came out of the debate was confirmation that the NSW Government will pay for an alternative inquiry, a Public Inquiry, ordered by Local Government Minister, Shelley Hancock. The State Parliament debate was triggered by more than 20,000 people signing an e-petition asking for a Judicial Inquiry into Council’s financial troubles, but it ended with only a vote to note the petition. About 16 Central Coast
people in the gallery were told not to applaud and to listen in silence to the debate held on Thursday, May 6. Wyong MP, David Harris, began by acknowledging two local residents, Susan Green and Marianne Hamilton, for their work in getting the petition up. He listed all the cuts to Council services and said residents wanted to know why this had happened. Harris said they knew that the system of governance at every level had failed them. The people want a Judicial Inquiry that would be independent, rather than a Public Inquiry conducted by the government, he said.
A Judicial Inquiry would require relevant people to attend, Harris said, and he listed all the parties which should face the Inquiry and the processes that should be examined. These included current and former staff including the chief financial officers, but also the Fit for the Future process, the role of the transition administrator, Ian Reynolds, councillors; the Audit, Risk and Improvement Committee, the internal and external auditors, the Office of Local Government, and the real cost of the merger process. “Everything should be on the table, nothing should be left out,” Harris said. He then went on to criticise
the Premier for not calling a Judicial Inquiry. After Harris’ allotted five minutes was up, Terrigal MP, Adam Crouch, then outlined what happened from October 2020 that saw the public become aware of the debt. He said if a Judicial Inquiry had been called, the councillors would have been allowed to return. He explained why a Public Inquiry was better than a Judicial Inquiry. “As part of a Public Inquiry, under subsection 438U (2) of the Local Government Act, the independent commissioner has the same powers, authorities, protections and immunities as that of a royal commission,” he said.
“That includes the power to summon witnesses to attend and give evidence on oath or by affirmation, the power to require the production of documents from the council or others, the power to deal with contempt and the power to restrict public access to evidence that is regarded as confidential in nature. “Any evidence collected by the independent commissioner at a Public Inquiry can be used later in court or at the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), but if a Judicial Inquiry was held, any evidence collected would be inadmissible in court or at the ICAC.” See page 6
Charmhaven children’s event entertainment business, Storybook Party Co, has been nominated for three categories in the Australian 2021 What’s On 4 Kids Awards. See page 27
Sport
The inaugural Moroney Acreman Cup was played between the northern Central Coast derby teams, Warnervale and The Lakes, on Saturday, May 8, at Woongarrah Oval, with the newly established competition going the way of The Lakes. See page 39
Puzzles page 23
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